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Dear Reader,
Despite laws like the Forest Rights Act of 2006 and the Panchayat Act of 1996, which clearly define the rights of forest dwellers over forest produce, the tribals in India are largely oblivious to their rights and entitlements.
Now, at least in Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli district, things are changing. Over 90 tribal Gram Sabhas have come together to form a collective, a ‘Maha Gram Sabha’. This not only made them aware of their rights stipulated under the Acts but also facilitated their access to the produce of the forest, thus enabling them to strengthen their bargaining power and “triple their incomes”. This union of the Gram Sabhas has been so invigorating that it has made a significant dent in the migration to the cities that was the norm earlier. The Migration Story tells the tale of the tribal finding strength in unity.
The controversy over listing of cases in the Supreme Court of India -- the administrative process of scheduling cases before the Court for hearing -- has once again reared its head. In the last week of August, the Supreme Court Advocates on Record Association (SCAORA) wrote to the Court's Registry about what they perceived as their "genuine difficulties and grievances" in filing and listing matters before the Court. This disaffection with the Registry was not confined to the Bar alone.
In the same week, a division Bench of Justices A S Oka and A G Masih had pulled up the Registry for not listing a Special Leave Petition despite a specific order by the Court. Earlier, too, the Court had the occasion to express their "worry" over the Registry's "by-passing" of judicial orders directing listing. The Supreme Court Observer talks to advocates and practitioners at the Apex Court to understand the Registry's role and work, and what needs to change.
In a landmark ruling, the Supreme Court overturned the Madras High Court's judgement that storage of child pornographic material without intent to transmit is not an offence under the POCSO Act. Terming the High Court's judgement an "egregious error," the Supreme Court clarified that storing such material without deletion or reporting suggests an intent to transmit, making it punishable. MediaNama looks at the significance of the judgement.
Wayanad's Mundakkai village, a land endowed with misty mountains, scenic valleys and tea plantations, was turned to ruins on July 31 when the worst landslide in Kerala's history hit – taking a massive toll on human lives and local lifelines. What was also destroyed was the local L P School, which was painstakingly built earlier by the plantation labour, a vote for their children's future. Now, the rebuilding of the school has come to symbolise the village's resilience and grit —a template of how the citizens of Wayanad are overcoming the devastation that came visiting. TrueCopy Think brings you the story.
For more such stories from the grantees this week, please read on.
Warmly,
Sunil Rajshekhar
IPSMF
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